Archive for the ‘Bug-In 37’ tag

The all-Volkswagen race, swap, and show known as Bug-In 37 is ready for action at Irwindale Dragstrip on Sunday, April 29. The event, which was previously scheduled at California Speedway, will now run at Irwindale and feature three restored Schley Brothers Lighting Bug VW-powered race cars.

While the original Lightning Bug was wadded up in a wreck at Bug-In 3 at Orange County International Raceway in 1969, subsequently restored and put on display at the Wally Parks NHRA Motorsports Museum, a replica of the original Lightning Bug is making its way over from Scotland, thanks to the efforts of collector-restorer Russell Ritchie. The second iteration, a chop-top racer, was run by the Schleys until they sold it to Diego Febles, who campaigned the car in Puerto Rico. The Schleys then built a VW dragster in 1973, which was also sold a few years later. Mark and Paul Schley have found and restored both the Lightning Bug chop top and dragster.

Aside from gathering the Lightning Bugs for the first time in public, Bug-In 37 will also feature drag racing, a humongous car show, and vintage Volkswagen swap meet bonanza.